Mobile morgue

ABSTRACT

A mobile mortuary in which a semi-trailer has extendable large side walls. The inside of the semi-trailer which constitutes a mobile unit is divided into three compartments, one a cooled end cabin, independent of the other two, with a side access door, for emplacement of the casket, which is visible through an inside end window, and the other two compartments define the zone in which the body has extendable facing side walls. One of these compartments, which is at the end, can be accessed via the rear end of the unit by a staircase and a ramp, both of which can be folded up into the structure or chassis. Motors are installed in the semi-trailer chassis structure to drive a rack and pinion mechanism. Each rack is mounted on the moving part of the side wall, and the side walls are guided in their displacement by upper and lower guides with rollers which move along facing guides in the stationary portion of the body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the priority of PCT/ES99/00092, filed Apr. 9,1999 and P 9800880, filed Apr. 24, 1998, the disclosure of which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

The present invention is directed to a mobile mortuary. Mobilemortuaries are neither known or in use at the present. The nonexistenceof mobile mortuaries creates a major obstacle for inhabitants of smallcommunities in providing the necessary service to a deceased person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The mobile mortuary in accordance with the present invention is ofsimple construction and also enormously functional when the time comesto provide an extensive and complete service to the deceased and his/herfamily and friends. Furthermore, its functionality makes it possible tomove the aforesaid mortuary quickly to the home or temporary restingplace of the deceased.

In accordance with the invention, the mobile mortuary includes adual-axle semi-trailer chassis upon which a body structure with a systemfor outward expansion of the walls is installed to create sufficientspace to accommodate the services offered by this type of funeralfacility.

These services will be distributed through three well defined zones: anend cabin reserved for the deceased, another which forms a parlor forthe immediate family, and a third, larger cabin for other family andfriends. This last parlor will also accommodate a restroom and beverageservice area.

As a unit, then, the mobile mortuary consists of a body structure, arefrigerated room for the deceased, a parlor for the immediate familyand another parlor designated as the common room.

With regard to the structure, it should be pointed out that the upperfront portion of the body contains the cooling unit. This unit has twofunctions: it maintains the temperature in the deceased's room at aconstant temperature of under 5° Centigrade, and, when necessary, actsas an air conditioning system in the other rooms. It will be powered byan electric motor to eliminate the noise which some other type of motorwould produce. It will also be equipped with the corresponding controlpanel which can be operated from outside the vehicle.

As a space expansion option, the rear portion of the semi-trailer may beequipped with a removable trailer, formed by a canvas-covered metallicframework. Installed underneath the chassis will be an electricalheating system which will heat the rooms through the floor of thebodywork an electric power transformer system and a set of electricmotors which will activate a rack and pinion power train, for moving thetrailer's retractable compartments in and out.

The aforesaid compartments will permit expansion of the available insidespace up to a total width of four and one-half meters. Retractablestanchions located under the rear end of the trailer will impart greaterstability to the mobile unit, when the compartments are expandedoutward. The remainder of the available space beneath the chassis willbe occupied by a complex of compartments, which can be used to store themobile elements of interior furniture, as well as the various devicesrequired by the funeral personnel for their services.

The roof of the chassis body will contain three skylights, with thecapability of sliding a louver arrangement beneath them. These skylightswill provide natural illumination of the interior, if required, as wellas ventilators for replenishing the air in the rooms and freshening orservice of the common room. The cooled room will serve as a restingplace for the deceased. Its dimensions will permit arrangement in anyposition. This room will be accessed from the outside, by way of ahermetically sealed door. The aforementioned cooling system will preventthe inside temperature from ever rising above 5° Centigrade.

The coffin will be brought in and out by a folding interior elevatorplatform. A curtain will screen the platform from view through thewindow of the immediate family room. This window will be hermeticallysealed, with a 15 millimeter space between its panes, to prevent thetemperature differential between the rooms from steaming it up. Also, anopaque venetian blind in this window will permit undertaker staff towork with the casket without being seen from inside. A system will alsobe installed to hang four wreaths in the frontal portion of the chamber.Chapel-type light can be provided.

The room for the immediate family is located in the space to theimmediate rear of the aforesaid cooled room, and is separated from theother room by a rigid wall which will be extended automatically by anaccordion-pleated screen of fabric panels, when the semi-trailer isextended. It will also have two large windows with suitable venetianblinds.

The interior will be generously furnished for comfortable accommodationof the mourners. The lighting will employ incandescent or fluorescentfixtures, according to preference. Several loudspeakers concealedoverhead will permit the creation of a suitable musical background, ifdesired. The common room features a door which opens to the immediatefamily room. The common room features a restroom with toilet and washbasin, as well as a small beverage service area and refrigerator. Theroom is amply and comfortably furnished. The mobile unit is equipped inthe rear with an access staircase, which will be hinged in the middle,for folding and stowage inside the semi-trailer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile mortuary according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the mobile mortuary shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the mobile mortuary shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the mobile mortuary shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the structural arrangement and guides whichpermit the side extensions;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the two body sides in the closed position;

FIG. 7 shows a detail of the upper guides which permit displacement ofthe sides;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the two body sides in the open position; and

FIG. 9 shows a detail of the lower guides and of the rack and piniontransmission which drives the opening and closing of the body sides.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The mobile mortuary 1 is comprised of a semi-trailer 2 having two axles3 which includes a prismatic body structure 4 and two retractablestanchions 5 (FIG. 3) which impart stability to the mobile unit. Themobile unit has a cooled room 6 for the deceased, a room for theimmediate family 7 and a common room 8.

The cooled room 6 has an access door 9 (FIG. 2) and a central zone 10which accommodates a casket 11. This room 6 is cooled by the appropriateand necessary conventional cooling apparatus 11 a. The room 6 also has aglassed-in window 12 covered with an inside venetian blind. The interiordecor is based upon curtains, and also includes devices to hang wreaths.

The room complex 7, 8 has expandable side walls 13. Such expansion isaccomplished by a rack and pinion mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thepinion 14 is driven by a motor 15 and displaces the rack 16 which isaffixed to the moving portion of the corresponding side wall as seen inFIGS. 5 and 6. The displacement of the two side walls 13 is guided inthe two directions by means of guide rollers 17 of the mobile part whichslides over the guides 18 of the stationary part as seen in FIG. 7. Theequipment and furnishings of the room complex 7, 8 are subject tovariation. These rooms are connectable by a door 19 and anaccordion-type screen 19 a. In one of its extractable parts, room 8 hasa rest room with wash basin 20 and a small beverage service area 21. Therear portion 22 of the unit has a double door 23 which permits theunfolding and positioning on the ground of a staircase 24 and ramp 25appropriately hinged for this operation.

The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate theinvention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of thedisclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of theinvention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention shouldbe construed to include everything within the scope of the appendedclaims and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile mortuary comprising a semi-trailerenclosed by a chassis structure thereof which has expandable, opposedside walls, the semi-trailer having an interior which constitutes amobile unit divided into at least three compartments, with one of thecompartments being a cooled end cabin, independent of the at least othertwo compartments, and having a side access door for emplacement of acasket so as to be visible through an inside end window, and the atleast other two compartments defining a zone in which a body of thesemi-trailer has the expandable opposed side walls, one of the at leasttwo outer compartments which is at the end, being accessible via a rearend of the mobile unit by a staircase and a ramp which are configured tobe folded up into a recessed position.
 2. The mobile mortuary inaccordance with claim 1, wherein motors are installed in thesemi-trailer chassis structure to drive a rack and pinion mechanism, therack being mounted on the moving part of the side wall and the said sidewalls being displaceably guidable by upper and lower guides with rollerswhich move along facing guides in a stationary portion of the body. 3.The mobile mortuary, comprising a semi-trailer enclosed by a chassisstructure thereof which has expandable, opposed side walls, thesemi-trailer having an interior which constitutes a mobile unit dividedinto at least three compartments, with one of the compartments being acooled end cabin, independent of the at least other two compartments,and having a side access door for emplacement of a casket so as to bevisible through an inside end window, and the at least other twocompartments defining a zone in which a body of the semi-trailer has theexpandable opposed side walls, one of the at least two outercompartments which is at the end, being accessible via a rear end of themobile unit by a staircase and a ramp which are configured to be foldedup into a recessed position wherein the two end cabins belonging to theextendable body are arranged to be separated by a vertical surfacehaving a central screen of folding fabric panels configured to unfoldwhen two sides of the extendable body are extended.
 4. The mobilemortuary in accordance with claim 3, wherein motors are installed in thesemi-trailer chassis structure to drive a rack and pinion mechanism, theracking being mounted on the moving part of the side wall and the saidside walls being displaceably guidable by upper and lower guides withrollers which move along facing guides in a stationary portion of thebody.